KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Today, the absence of Lavrenti continues to serve as a message and symbol and as indestructible will and courage among the guardians of the “Berd” fortress, and Lavrenti will stand among the brave guardians keeping watch over the Armenian “Berd” fortress so long as the “Berd” performs dances. Today the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) hosted a commemorative event dedicated to the memory of student of the ASPU Department of Dance Pedagogy Lavrenti Natoyan.

The future dance teacher, who was a longstanding dancer and performed in the “Berd” Armenian Dance Ensemble, would have turned 20 years old (Lavrenti Natoyan died while defending the borders of the homeland during the war in September).

The commemorative event served as a unique lesson of patriotism and was attended by the administration and professors of the ASPU, as well as the family, relatives, classmates and friends of Lavrenti Natoyan who, with a moment of silence, respected the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the homeland. They became eternal, conveying the sacred message of building a powerful Armenia.

The friends, teachers and relatives shared touching memories and stories of Lavrenti’s bright childhood, his graduation from school, admission to university and the dancer’s highest values and attributes for living and working with the dance ensemble as an individual dancer who grew in a creative atmosphere, and these stories helped characterize him as a professional dancer, loyal friend and devoted person.

Throughout his course of studies after getting accepted into the ASPU Faculty of Culture, the gifted dancer was not only an excellent student, but was also loyal to his friends, who paid their respects in memory of Lavrenti Natoyan with their unique performances of dances.

ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan frankly said that she is speechless and can’t hold back her emotions and that the smile that Lavrenti gave was the best that she could dream of.

The Rector expressed deep gratitude to Lavrenti Navoyan’s parents, friends, teachers and professors who had shaped such an individual and urged the attendees to continue to hold these commemorative lessons with a sense of duty. “With warmth, regret and a faint hope, everyone was talking about the light that seemed to have faded away, but continues to put a smile on our faces. The family, school, yard, friends, the university and all the values (the most precious) were presented in the videos and in the dances. This served as the best master class of patriotism that Lavrenti Natoyan conveyed to us as a message and which every student of the Armenian State Pedagogical University must take with him or her to school to shape persons and individualities,” the Rector remarked and also recalled the students of the ASPU who died while defending the borders of the homeland and had the dream of becoming teachers.

Srbuhi Gevorgyan wished light and smiles — something that Lavrenti gave, and she promised that they will continue with the lessons that the sons of the Armenian nation were unable to complete.

Head of the Chair of Dance Pedagogy and its Teaching Methods Karen Gevorgyan described Lavrenti Natoyan as a goal-oriented dancer who left behind a memory and honor, even though he studied at the Armenian State Pedagogical University and danced in the “Berd” Armenian Dance Ensemble for a short period. “Today’s commemorative event should become a monument not made by man, in honor of and as a tribute, with the symbol of commemoration. The fact that Lavrenti was a bright and goal-oriented person does not allow us to be sad when taking a glance at his life and career. In a short period of time, he made friends, and all the professors praised him. Dance requires that one be dedicated, love and live; it was hard for him to leave the dance hall and go to the battlefield. Unlike many others, he did not leave unnoticed. He handed over his dance costumes and promised to return,” Karen Gevorgyan stated.

Professor of the Chair of Dance Pedagogy Suren Khachatryan is the administrator of the dance courses that Lavrenti Natoyan would attend. Khachatryan regrets that he did not personally know Lavrenti, but he has heard a lot about him from his classmates, who organized the commemorative event with great enthusiasm. Suren Khachatryan says that in this period it seems that he also interacted with Lavrenti Natoyan and realized that he was an exemplary individual who wanted to put smiles on the faces of those around him.

Lavrenti Natoyan’s father, who was attending the commemorative event, extended thanks to the organizers, participants and attendees and wished to start a scholarship fund in his son’s name for future dance instructors.